"Nice to meet you too," Judai said, shaking the hand of yet another prominent devil.
"Smile, dear," Rias whispered, nudging him gently with her elbow.
Judai forced a polite smile as the devil before him nodded. He was growing tired of meeting people who seemed more interested in the Gremory name, or his unrecorded Longinus than in actually getting to know him.
Just then, a striking young woman with green hair and glasses approached, accompanied by a tall, muscular young man with black hair. Both were noticeably taller than Judai and even taller than Rias.
"Sairaorg Bael," the man said, extending a hand.
"Yuki Judai," Judai replied, shaking it.
Sairaorg subtly tested his grip, and Judai responded in kind.
'Touki?' Sairaorg thought, surprised that a human knew how to harness it.
"You're quite strong for a human," Sairaorg remarked.
"You too," Judai said, hiding the ache in his hand behind a smile.
Their eyes locked, a silent challenge passing between them.
"Hi, Rias," the woman beside Sairaorg greeted warmly.
"Hi, Seekvaira," Rias replied.
"You should still call me like you did when we were children, Seek-chan," Seekvaira teased with a slight grin.
"Don't remind me of that," Rias said, a faint blush touching her cheeks.
The two women then turned their attention to the men.
"Both of you, stop it," Rias sighed.
Judai and Sairaorg released their handshake. Judai subtly moved his right hand behind his back, shaking out the lingering tension.
"This is Sairaorg Bael, my cousin," Rias introduced, "and this is Seekvaira Agares, a friend."
"Nice to meet you both," Judai said.
Seekvaira and Sairaorg nodded in acknowledgment.
"Childhood friend," Seekvaira added with a playful smirk.
Rias shot her a look, but Seekvaira only smiled wider.
"Take care of her, alright?" Seekvaira said. "She can be quite the spoiled girl."
Judai nodded while Rias flushed slightly.
"Yuki," Sairaorg began.
"Judai, just call me Judai."
"Alright, Judai. When you have time, let's spar," Sairaorg offered.
"Sure, I'd be glad to."
"And Rias, congratulations," Sairaorg added.
"Thank you."
With that, Sairaorg and Seekvaira moved on, making way for Sona Sitri and Shinra Tsubaki, who approached next.
"Hello, you two," Sona greeted.
"Hi," Rias replied.
"No wonder you kept him a secret," Sona said with a knowing smile.
"Ahaha," Rias laughed nervously.
"Whatever else you're hiding, just take care of yourselves," Sona said kindly.
Judai and Rias both nodded.
"Congratulations to both of you on your engagement."
"Thank you," they said in unison, offering a slight bow.
After Sona and Tsubaki left, Judai and Rias finally made their way to the food tables. Judai, who was starving, loaded a plate and took a seat, eating with enthusiasm.
Rias smiled, gently rubbing his back. "Slow down."
"I'm hungry, I've been wanting to eat for hours," Judai said between bites, careful to still follow etiquette under Venelana's watchful gaze.
Sirzechs and Grayfia then approached with Milicas in tow.
"How are my little sister and little brother doing?" Sirzechs asked warmly.
Judai smiled, appreciating how easily Sirzechs had welcomed him.
"Good," Rias said, while Judai simply nodded.
"Are you that hungry, Judai?" Grayfia asked.
Judai nodded again, then noticed Grayfia wasn't wearing her maid uniform. He was surprised to see her in a dress.
Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba joined them, offering respectful bows to Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Milicas.
"Take care, you two. We'll talk more later," Sirzechs said as he prepared to leave.
"And Judai, thank you," Grayfia added softly, her smile genuine with gratitude for making Rias happy.
Judai gave her a thumbs-up, which made her smile widen. Milicas waved at them, and they all waved back before the three departed, leaving the newly engaged couple with their closest friends.
"So, when are we going back to Kuoh?" Judai asked after finishing his meal. He needed the money Mizuho had been managing for him, and he wanted to send her back to the human world so she could continue her work.
"Tomorrow," Rias replied.
"Alright." Judai then turned to Kiba. "Speaking of which, did you find any of the devils here… interesting? I saw quite a few gathered around you."
Kiba chuckled and shook his head.
"And when can we head back to our room?" Judai asked Rias, feeling sleepy after the heavy meal.
"In a few more hours," Rias said, smiling at his annoyed expression.
Judai sighed heavily, making Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Rias share amused expression.
A few hours later,
The engagement party finally came to an end. The maids and butlers began cleaning the venue, and the guests had all departed. Judai had already retreated to his room to sleep, while Rias met with her parents, brother, and sister-in-law in a private chamber.
"Where's Judai?" Zeoticus asked.
"Sleeping," Rias answered.
"He must be exhausted from talking to so many people for the first time," Sirzechs remarked with a smile, Zeoticus nodding in agreement.
"So, what did you want to discuss?" Rias asked, curious about the private meeting.
"Judai's safety," Venelana explained. "The Council isn't pleased with our decision to bring him into the family."
"There's a chance they may send assassins after him," Grayfia added calmly.
"What do you suggest we do?" Rias asked, her expression turning serious.
"Let him stay here until he's strong enough. We'll train him so that assassins won't stand a chance," Zeoticus proposed. "We originally wanted to discuss this with both of you, but since he's tired, you'll need to tell him."
"In that case, we can stay here a while longer," Rias said, rising from her seat. She didn't want to risk Judai's safety. "I'll head to my room now."
They all nodded as she left. Once the door closed, Zeoticus turned to Sirzechs and Grayfia. "What about the Old Satan Faction? I'm sure they won't approve of what we've done."
"There haven't been any recent movements from them," Grayfia reported.
"We're still watching and investigating," Sirzechs added. "They must be planning something significant."
"You two need to find out what they're scheming, and quickly. I doubt they'll stay quiet for long," Venelana warned.
Sirzechs and Grayfia both nodded, the weight of the responsibility clear in their expressions.
— X —
Big Announcement,
Hi everyone, I hope you're all having a great day.
I'm writing this to let you know that I have decided to discontinue this story due to several challenges I've encountered during the writing process.
First, the Sacred Gear mechanics have become too cracked and complicated. Even with detailed notes, it has reached a point where it is difficult to keep track of everything and maintain consistency.
Secondly, I've become unhappy with the direction of the plot. While I initially considered a rewrite to fix the power system issues, I've realized that my creative energy is drained. At this stage, I don't feel I can produce the high-quality chapters you all deserve.
I am truly sorry to anyone who feels disappointed by this news. Thank you for all your support, and I hope to see you again in the future if I return to writing.